1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for preparing almond milk, as well as to by-products thereof.
Moreover, the invention is related to a product, made from a vegetable raw material, that can be used as a substitute for animal milk and, in particular, cow's milk, to serve as a basis for creating a line of new products intended for human diet, and make it possible to achieve a greatly improved nutrition.
2. Description of Background and Relevant Information
In the ordinary diet, nutriments such as milk, butter, yogurt, and sauces are all animal-derived. These nutriments, consumed daily in too large quantities, provide a surplus of fat in which the fatty acids are saturated. Therefore, they play a detrimental role in people who are prone to cardiovascular diseases.
Furthermore, some animal-derived food components are sometimes not well-carried by a more or less substantial fraction of consumers. For example, for the majority of consumers, cow's milk apparently does not pose any assimilation problem: it is a source of proteins and calcium. However, for other consumers, it is really not well tolerated. For the latter, cow's milk proteins can cause allergies, particularly in children.
Therefore, the production of new nutriments that are more easily digestible, cholesterol-free, with a high content of non-allergenic proteins and non-saturated fatty acids, presents a real nutritional interest and even becomes a necessity for a portion of the population.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,294,682, issued on Feb. 11, 1941, describes a process for manufacturing a vegetable butter from ground peanuts or similar leguminous plants, placed in aqueous solution and subjected to an enzymatic proteolysis at 27.degree.54.degree. C., and stopped at the end of the operation by destruction of the enzyme at 70.degree.-110.degree. C.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,374, issued on May 8, 1984, is related to a roasted almond paste intended for the preparation of beverages or desserts. It describes, in particular, the manufacturing process of an "acid almond milk" obtained by first passing the roasted almonds in a press at 200 kg/cm.sup.2 to remove 50% of fat, by then mixing them with water, milk, sugar, a thickening agent and a surfactant, then passing the derived product in a mixer-homogenizer and in a homogenizer, before sterilizing it at 90.degree. C., allowing it to ferment at 37.degree.-40.degree. C., and adding sugar thereto, the temperature being then raised to 75.degree. C., the product being finally filtered and cooled.
The products featured in these patents have very limited applications, and their inventors do not in fact expect to use them as substitutes for animal milks.
International Application No. PCT/FR93/00201, filed by the Applicant of the present application, describes a process in which a very thin puree of fruits or shelled nuts is placed in an aqueous solution and subjected to a progressive temperature rise between 40.degree. and 70.degree. C. during which it undergoes a pressurized homogenization at 200,000-500,000 hPa, leading to a particle size distribution below 50 .mu.m, then an enzymatic hydrolysis by bacterial proteases, amylases, glucanases specifically hydrolyzing the proteins or polysaccharide compounds, the temperature then being raised up to 110.degree.-115.degree. C. to stop the enzymatic reactions and ensure the bacteriological stability by pasteurization.
Unfortunately, the derived products, although conforming to the object sought, with respect to their composition, have proven to be insufficiently stable for an industrial production to be considered.